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Category Archives: Survival Guides

How to save money by reducing heating and cooling costs. Written by Craig and Lew.

Hi! Craig here.
I have seen a ‘service’ advertisement on TV where a technician will walk through your home with a Infrared (IR) or thermal video camera to show all the energy ‘leaks’. The walk-through is recorded for future reference. Typically, these IR cameras are used by insulation service providers to demonstrate how badly the customer really needs their expensive insulation services. I did a little research into this and found out how easy it is to scam a homeowner. If the camera is set up properly and used honestly the information it provides is valuable. However, the camera threshold and sensitivity can be adjusted to show negligible temperature differences from one extreme to the other. If you choose to pay for the ‘energy audit’, we recommend using a reputable firm.Continue reading →

America seems to thrive lately on bureaucracy. Everywhere we go it haunts us. From the local government to the IRS, it is a major part of our lives. Waiting lines tend to be long, tempers short, and bad attitudes abound. This article is here to give you tips to get through the major trouble spots and actually use the system to get what you wanted, or at least come out the other side not so beaten down.Continue reading →

Recently my family and I were on the road just about half way between No-Place and Nowhere. It is too hot to drive without A/C but I turned it off and ordered all the windows down because the boy was farting like an anabolic reactor. Then I hear from behind me the boy say in an unusual voice “I have to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW!” I look over my shoulder to see he appears to be in full rigor mortis!Continue reading →